


TERMITES OF ENDEARMENT

by MorphoFan



Category: The Venture Bros
Genre: Bondage, Buzz Saw Peril, Fluff without Plot, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Male Bonding, Male Slash, Rescue, Self-Indulgent, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 18:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17412233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorphoFan/pseuds/MorphoFan
Summary: Monarch has a blow-out fight with Twenty-One over the latter's unwillingness to murder The Wandering Spider. In a rush of emotion, he fires his solitary henchman and best friend, only to soon find himself in terrible danger at the hands of The Termite. Can Twenty-One look past their differences and rescue him in time?





	TERMITES OF ENDEARMENT

**Author's Note:**

> Totally shameless, self-indulgent rescue fluff. I had to write something today, and this is what came out. Plot is barely there. Art by www.deviantart.com/kurtssingh

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I stood there in a shocked rage as Twenty-One hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, boss," he murmured softly, "You didn't see the poor dude's face, though. I couldn't just kill him in cold blood."

"So you LET HIM GO?" I bellowed, "You just let The Wandering Spider GO? Great, GARY, that's just fucking awesome!"

"I didn't just let him go!" he retorted, tearing off his cap and mask, "I made him agree to give up his super-villain persona in exchange for sparing his life! We BURIED his metal legs together! He was GRATEFUL!"

"I'm sure!" I snapped, "And I'm also sure that he's going to go straight to the Guild, now!"

"So what?" Twenty-One was getting angry now, too, "He doesn't know who we are… none of them do!"

"That's not the point," I snarled, "You DISOBEYED my orders! I TRUSTED you!"

"Well your orders SUCKED!" Gary barked, "You never stop to think how anything affects ME, everything's always about YOU!"

"Uh HELLO?" I said, holding up my hands, "I'm a super-villain, and YOU are just my henchman. If you aren't willing to obey me, then I'll find someone who IS!"

Twenty-One's mouth dropped open in shock, and I immediately felt a rush of guilt. But the words were out, now, and I couldn't back down. I couldn't.

"Well then, I guess this is it?" he said softly, turning his chauffeur's cap in his hands, lowering his eyes, "Have I been officially dismissed?"

I just stood there, breathing hard, with an odd, tight feeling in my throat. Every part of me wanted to collapse to the floor and apologize to him. But my damned ego wouldn’t allow it.

"You can keep the Kano costume," I muttered, turning my back on him, mostly to hide the tears that had welled up in my eyes, "But I want you to go."

The silence stretched on between us, and the air seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, until I could barely breathe. When Twenty-One came and patted me gently on the back, I almost caved in. I wanted to turn to him and hug him, and beg for forgiveness….

"If that's what you want, then I'll go," he said softly, "Take care of yourself, boss… and thanks… working for you was an amazing, wild ride… I'll miss you."

(I'll miss you, too) my inner voice screamed, and I pressed my lips together to keep it inside. I heard his footsteps retreating across the cave to the exit, and I closed my eyes as tears began to flow down my face.

"So long, dude," he called, "I'll send for the rest of my stuff when I get settled." 

And then the door closed, echoing across the cave, and my best friend was gone. I sank down to my knees, hugging myself, feeling sick and miserable and terribly alone….

* * * * *

 

I don't know how long I was unconscious. When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was my head hurt, probably from chloroform. The next thing I noticed was my Morpho mask had been stripped from my face, and as I tried to reach up to confirm, I discovered my wrists were tied in front of me.

I raised my head and looked toward my feet, and found I was tied down on a long wooden plank of some sort. There was an overwhelming smell of sawdust, and as I craned my neck to look around, I realized I was in some kind of lumber processing mill.

Made sense. The super-villain I'd been after was called The Termite. It was only fitting that his lair would have something to do with wood.

"Oh good, you're awake," said an unfamiliar voice to my left. I turned my head, and a large man in a termite costume came to stand at my side. 

"You must be The Termite," I said, twisting my wrists, testing the strength of the heavy rope. 

He didn't answer me right away, instead he threw a few more loops of rope over my body, tying me down more securely. He pushed my bound wrists down, holding my arms flat, and passed the rope over my midsection a few times. Before too long, I couldn't move at all.

"So, are you going to ask me anything?' I muttered, struggling futilely, "Isn't this the part where you interrogate me, or something?"

"Nope," he replied, removing his helmet and giving me a nasty smile, "I know you're The Blue Morpho… and now I know you're also The Mighty Monarch… not that it matters, you'll be dead in about ten minutes."

"You're overconfident," I said, trying to sound flippant, even though my heart was pounding, "You know I don't work alone, right?" I glanced toward the door, wondering if Twenty-One had any idea where I was.

"If you're talking about that big bodyguard of yours," Termite snickered, "Then I'm not worried. I know you two had a falling out. Besides, he's got no idea where you are."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Completely," he sneered at me. "Now before I start this thing up, did you want to beg for your life, or anything?"

I was confused as to what he meant by 'start this thing up,' and I arched my neck to look back behind me. My blood ran cold. It was a buzz saw. 

"Really?" I muttered, trying to force a scornful laugh, "The old buzz saw trope? You don't think that's a little cliched?"

"Eh," he said with a shrug, "Maybe. But I like to work with what I have… and this mill is my lair. You have to admit, the buzz saw is effective, trope or no trope."

He pulled out bandanna, shook it out, then came to stand over me.

"Nobody is coming to your rescue, this time," he whispered, as he jammed the cloth between my teeth and tied it behind my head. "Are you ready to die?" he teased, trailing his finger down my nose.

I couldn't hold back a small whimper. He was creeping me out SO badly. I gave another hopeful glance toward the door, but there was no sign of anyone. Why would there be?

The Termite moved past my head and out of my sight range, and with a great whining roar, the saw started up. The plank I was tied to vibrated and began to creep toward the spinning blade. I struggled, twisting, yanking at my arms, but I was tied fast.

"You should thank me!" The Termite said, gloating as he came to stand over me again, "You'll barely feel it. I could have set you up to go in feet-first…, now THAT would have been brutal. It would've taken a lot longer for you to die."

I inched slowly toward the blade as it bit into the end of the plank. Was this going to be it? After everything else I had survived, was I going to die like in a fucking 'Perils of Pauline' serial? 

"See, you lower-rank villains just don't get it," The Termite continued teasingly, "You are NOTHING without your henchman, and now that he's left you, you're all alone and COMPLETELY helpless." 

(Oh, SHUT UP, already!) I thought. I could feel the breeze from the buzz saw tickling through my hair, now. I was inches away from death. I gave one last try to free myself, bellowing in frustration through my gag.

"Oh no, who's gonna save you?" The Termite teased, laughing in my face, "Where IS that big, dumb bodyguard of yours?"

"RIGHT HERE, ASSHOLE!"

Termite barely had time to turn when Twenty-One's fist connected with his face and knocked him cold. He dropped like a pile of bricks, and a moment later, my loyal henchman hit the kill switch on the buzz saw.

I was on the verge of hyperventilating as he took hold of the plank and rolled it along the conveyor, safely away from the now-still circular blade. He leaned over me, eyes bright with concern, and gently brushed his hand over my brow.

"It's OK," he breathed, as he slipped his hands under my head to untie the gag, "It's OK, I'm here."

"Twenty-One…," I wept. He clasped my bound wrists in one big hand, cradled my head with the other, tousling my hair, and touched his forehead to mine, "Wha… why are you here?" I asked breathlessly.

"Nice to see you, too, boss," he chuckled at me, as he pulled out his knife and cut me free, "I figured you'd try and go after The Termite yourself, and I also figured you'd end up in over your head… again." 

As soon as I was able, I sat up and threw my arms around him, and he hugged me so hard I felt my bones creak. My tears started up again, and I cried on his shoulder.

"Shh," he breathed against my ear, "Shh, you're safe, now… I've got you."

"I fired you," I murmured tearfully against Twenty-One's neck, "And you still came for me." 

"Of course I did," he replied quietly, rubbing his hand over my back. 

"Why?"

"Because, despite you acting like a horse's ass, you're still my best friend, and you needed me," he said, pulling back to look into my eyes, "And because I took an oath to always protect you... and because… I love you." 

He leaned in and kissed me, deep, soft and gentle. It should have surprised me, but it didn't. In fact, as I kissed him back, I realized that his romantic feelings for me were not one-sided. Not by a long shot. 

Too soon, he pulled back from the kiss, and I tried to get my voice to work.

"I love you," I whispered, "I'm sorry for everything."

"Shh," he soothed, pressing his lips to my forehead, "We'll talk about it later, for now, you just hold on to me." He scooped me into his big, strong, safe arms, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I can walk, you know," I mumbled teasingly, as he turned and carried me toward the door. He laughed and gently nuzzled my temple.

"Indulge me," he whispered, and I relaxed against him, laying my head on his big shoulder and closing my eyes. 

"My hero," I mumbled drowsily. He chuckled and pressed his lips to my brow.

He carried me over to the Morphomobile, where I'd left it, badly parked behind a storage shed. The Gull Wing doors were still open, and he leaned in to settle me in the passenger seat.

"Be right back," he murmured, caressing my face with one big hand and giving me a reassuring smile.

I watched him walk away, back toward the mill. I guess I nodded out for a few minutes, because suddenly the trunk was slammed shut, and it roused me. I looked up as Twenty-One came around to the driver's seat and slid into the vehicle.

"Where did you go?" I asked, curious.

"Just had to pick up some garbage," he replied cryptically, "Don't worry about it."

I didn't. I reached over and clasped his hand for a moment, squeezing it. He turned and gave me a beatifically loving smile, and I relaxed back into my seat. The events of the day overcame me, and I closed my eyes, and let my devoted protector carry us home.

THE END  
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